The Klouded Vision of Smoke
by tskelt15
Summary: Hey everyone this is my first fanfic. I originally uploaded it a while back and had to delete it due to technical issues. This is an ORIGINAL story, and it is MY rendition of an origin story for the MK character known as Smoke. ALL criticism is appreciated, if you have suggestions for characters I would be more than happy to add them for you all. Thanks!
1. The First Vision

**Hey Everyone, this is my first fanfic story and it is my rendition of an origin story of the MK character known as Smoke. I will continue this story and add some thickness to it and eventually I will even throw in a chapter about the tournament. Feel free to leave suggestions or comments on what you would like to see in the future, and what characters you would like to read about. So far, I am still developing the story and plot for Smoke but I will have another chapter up within a week or two, thanks guys!**

The final battle had begun. After years of excessive training for this very moment my time had finally arrived. I had endured several battles already since my entry into the Mortal Kombat tournament. My body was aching; my armor was no more as it was torn so badly it served no purpose any longer. My previous fight was one I was not prepared for. I was forced to face off with a fellow participant for Earthrealm, not only was he a participant from my realm but he also represented the same clan I am a part of, the Lin Kuei. The evil sorcerer Shang Tsung forced me to fight a fellow Lin Kuei warrior named Sub Zero. Shang Tsung is a man of both power and limitations. He had mastered most powers of sorcery but yet his purpose was to run the Mortal Kombat tournament for the Emperor of Outworld, an immortal named Shao Khan who trained Shang Tsung in the dark arts. I defeated Sub Zero, but it was no easy task. The real tragedy however was witnessing Shang Tsung take the man's soul with much pleasure. That moment made me realize just what I was fixing to go up against. All of the legends I was told, all of the stories that were rumored about the sorcerer's power were just proven to be true. Now I would have to face not one but many different adversaries in this final battle. Before being ordered to face me, Sub Zero defeated the reigning nine time champion of the tournament, Prince Goro. Prince Goro served the Sorceror in the tournament to ensure that nobody would be able to reach Shang Tsung in the final battle. After Goro's demise, the Sorcerer found it necessary to eliminate one of the two remaining Earthrealm warriors so that he only had to face one fighter. I must admit, smart move…for a coward.

Still angered by the failure of Outworld's nine time champion, the Sorcerer looked to me with the eyes of determination. He knew what he would have to do and hoped that it didn't have to come to this but it had. It was just myself and Shang Tsung who were the only combatants left. "Smoke! I challenge you to the final battle of Mortal Kombat, do you accept?" His voice seemed almost like a whisper to me because he resented the fact that he could possibly fail the Emperor. Without any hesitation I replied with a simple "yes". The sorcerer levitated himself off his throne and his feet touched the floor only a few feet from where I was standing. Then it started, the first thing that happened was a transformation. I could not quite make out who the transformation was forming into and suddenly I realized he had the ability to transform into any person whose soul he had stolen. Then I saw it, right in front of me I saw a cyborg. This cyborg seemed very familiar to me for some strange reason. It's colors were black and grey like mine. Then something very strange happened, the form he had taken suddenly had an aura and the aura took the form of smoke! Shang Tsung had transformed into ME! Suddenly I could hear nothing but laughter and my voice, which was forged by Shang Tsung saying "Smoke, you will fail and your soul IS mine!"

The sorcerer charged at me and just as he had his fist drawn back a ray of light shined in my eyes. When I opened my eyes again Shang Tsung was no longer around. I suddenly realized I had woken from a deep sleep. That entire thing was a dream? Wow, that seemed so real to me.

I woke in confusion. I knew that this was only a dream but I could not help but focus on the details of the dream. Everyone knows that only one person from the Lin Kuei is allowed to enter the tournament and the tournament was quite a while away from now. We were months away from deciding someone to represent our clan. Secondly, how did Shang Tsung transform into me? Never mind that, how was he a cyborg? How could he possibly have my soul if we have never faced eachother before? Finally, why was Sub Zero there? I have heard legends of a former Lin Kuei warrior named Sub Zero who entered the Mortal Kombat tournament and failed. It was told to me that the man named Sub Zero came back to the clan to find out that his failure would result in his death so he escaped from the temple, but the story always ended with the death of Sub Zero. He was surely dead because attempting to even think about betraying the Lin Kuei is suicide. None of this dream made any sense. Soon I shook off the dream as I would any other dream and moved on.

The Lin Kuei temple was by no means a pleasant place to live. It was dark and cold and sometimes even scary. But how could I possibly complain? It was lifetimes better than the life I had before…from what I can remember. Growing up, I lived on the streets, my family was extremely poor and we had no means to support ourselves. When I was nine, my father gave himself up to slavery so he could pay off his debts. Normally, men were considered cowards to give up their lives and families to pay off debts, but in his perspective it was the only way out. Soon after he did that, my mother died. I was left with no one, not a thing to my name, a name that had been erased from my memory because it had been so long since it was called out. Smoke was my name now, it was the name I was given by my clan. When I was found by the Lin Kuei I was questioned about relatives and any kind of bonds with people. I told them that I knew of no such things because I was always responsible for myself. Family and friendship is forbidden in the Lin Kuei. Had I had any family or friends I would have been forced to kill them. I don't know what is worse, the fact that I had no family at all, or the fact that if I would have had a family to begin with I would have enjoyed killing them for my clan.

Throughout the years, countless enemies of the Lin Kuei have crumbled before my feet. I had long since become the most valuable asset to the Lin Kuei besides the grandmaster himself. And I had become so successful in my conquests that I was certain even he could serve beneath me. However, there was an annoyance in my everyday life when it came to the grandmaster. The grandmaster had a son that was born and raised into the Lin Kuei, his name; Sektor. It was clear that the grandmaster favored me over his own son, and Sektor always had resented this. He and his companion, Cyrax, had always been a thorn in my side and I swore that if it were not for the grandmaster, I would have had both his son and Cyrax head a long time ago.

When I began with the Lin Kuei, right away I had exceptional skill. The Grandmaster took me under his wing eventually and trained me himself, it was rumored that he had done that with only one other warrior before me. I never cared to ask because I was too busy focusing on becoming the greatest murderer of all time. I started out a killer, a foul beast that would slay anything and anyone who stood in front of me. I lacked discipline, I would not think before I acted and my attacks would be performed foolishly and without full force. Now I am a pathological monster, a person who seeks out my victims and plans ways to torture them in my head. You would hear no tales of me because I can not be seen. My powers, my strength is my name, the smoke is the only sign my victims have before their end is near. I leave no trace behind, I am invisible. I prey on my victims like a hawk in the night. I am swift, and quick. No one knows who I am in the outside world because my prey disappears without a trace. I am the greatest of all time.

Other clans despise the Lin Kuei because we prey on the innocent. Deserving or not, we do what is necessary. The Lin Kuei have no families, we do not have companions, we do not have feelings. This makes us better than any other clan because they use judgement, which means they are merciful. The only clan that poses any threat is the Shirai Ryu. They are scum, a pathetic excuse for warriors. Unlike us, they are allowed to have families and bonds. The children are raised to become one of them. Only one assassin ever has dared to cross the Lin Kuei, an eager to die fool by the name of Hanzo Ishashi, or as he likes to be called, the Scorpion. He is known throughout Earthrealm for his violence. He is arrogant and loves a spotlight, the public would say he is the most feared assassin ever…I would like to test that opinion.

It is true, that the Lin Kuei are sometimes forced to work with the Shirai Ryu, but not me. I work alone. Others would just be in my way. Lately, the Lin Kuei have been working more with Shang Tsung and dealing with his problems. I have met the man few times, and from what I have seen of him, I'm not impressed. He is an old man whose only true power is stealing. His master however, is rarely ever seen. Shao Khan is the true meaning of evil. For centuries he has conquered realm after realm, searching to destroy every living thing in his path so he can achieve absolute domination…I respect that. If not for him, the Lin Kuei would not exist. Therefore, I would like to thank him if ever presented the opportunity.


	2. The New Way of the Lin Kuei

Perhaps the one thing that the Lin Kuei is most known for is having an endless supply of murderous warriors. Today is just an example of how we are able to do this. Word has been going around the Lin Kuei temple that a new recruit has caught the attention of the grandmaster. This is the day that the young warrior that I have heard so much about becomes a killer among us. All of the Lin Kuei were ordered to attend this ceremony and as soon as we walked in we were greeted by the sight of a young recruit and the grandmaster facing each other. The recruit was not in his new colors yet and I immediately began to question why we were needed. The grandmaster spoke, "today, all of you are going to witness the creation of something truly remarkable. This recruit you see before you has completed all of the trials and has earned his privilege to stand amongst you. This however, is his final test, if he can withstand both elements of death fire and ice, he will become one of the greatest warriors that belong to the Lin Kuei." Apparently, the grandmaster expects this new kid to be even deadlier than Sektor.

Quickly after the grandmaster spoke, two of his men came out carrying buckets. I had no idea what they were for. The only thing I knew for sure is that I have never seen the grandmaster do anything like this before. After the guards laid the buckets on the ground I noticed that the buckets were filled with water, next another guard came into the room holding another bucket, but this bucket had smoke coming out of it. My instincts told me that the bucket was filled with lava rocks. The next thing I saw was the guard standing behind recruit and the grandmaster giving the recruit the order to kneel. After the recruit kneeled, he bowed down to the grandmaster. The grandmaster then gave the guard behind him the signal to dump the bucket. The rocks poured out of the bucket onto the recruits body, he began squirming in pain. The grandmaster spoke to us, "The rocks make him uncomfortable, he will die from the burn if he does not use his instincts." With the buckets located by each of his hands, the recruit powered both of his hands into the buckets and when his hands came back out, they were covered in ice! "The ice will eliminate the power the burn has on his body, which makes him stronger, he is withstanding the pain and soon will overcome it," the grandmaster commented. No sooner than the grandmaster said that, the recruit began to remove his hands from his back, and soon his hands were completely covered with ice. If the grandmaster had ever shown emotion, now he would be the only time I have seen him with a grin from ear to ear.

I give you the Lin Kuei's newest deadly weapon. I give you Sub Zero. The grandmasters words shivered my spine as I stood watching his new creation. Now I definitely know that my dream last night was no ordinary dream, this had to be the Sub Zero that I defeated in my dream!

I had no idea what was happening, but I also had no time to think as the grandmaster began explaining something, "this new member of our family, this Sub Zero, has earned the right to carry one of the names of the Lin Kuei's most famous warriors in history. Unlike his new ancestor, Sub Zero has been trained in the current way of the Lin Kuei, which makes him stronger and deadlier. He will never think of betraying his clan either, for he knows that the only response for betrayal is death. I show you the birth of your new brother to remind you of the way of the Lin Kuei." You are dismissed for your daily duties.

So many things are now weighing on my mind. I dismiss all thoughts of the new Sub Zero's potential because to me, there are other questions that are more important. Is this really the person that I saw in my dream? I can't believe what I have just seen. Who is this Sub Zero, and why do I feel like he is so important to me? I will have to test him to find out, but seeing as the grandmaster now will have his eyes glued on him at all times, that will be difficult to do.


End file.
